James

Manchester's longest-lasting band - 16 years together and counting - kicked off their latest tour in Dublin's Olympia on Monday night, and found themselves struggling to grasp a modicum of magic from thin air. Luckily, singer Tim Booth volunteered to climb up onto the balcony, creating that ever-elusive vibe which turns a gig from merely competent to slightly memorable.

Opening with a selection from their new album, Millionaires, James seemed desperate to prove that they've moved on from their - and the audience's - student origins, and are capable of delivering such mature, indie-tinged tunes as I Know What I'm Here For, Crash and Just Like Fred Astaire. But just as James started to win over the crowd, they decided to go dead deep and meaningful with such atmospheric stuff as Surprise and Someone's Got It In For Me. A few oldies would have pulled things back on track at this stage, but the band seemed set on moving forward and leaving their baggy past behind - Come Home was only fielded at the final whistle, while Sit Down was left on the bench for the duration of the gig.

She's A Star, however, got the fans rolling in the aisles, helped along by Booth's impromptu acrobatics and the band's obvious professionalism, but the overall impression is that James may need a few more tour dates to really limber up.